Tom Holford

Tom Holford

Holford, in his first spell at charge at Port Vale
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Holford
Date of birth	(1878-01-28)28 January 1878
Place of birth	Hanley, England
Date of death	6 April 1964(1964-04-06) (aged 86)
Place of death	Blurton, Stoke-on-Trent, England
Height	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Playing position	Wing-half
Youth career
	Cobridge
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1898–1908	Stoke	248	(30)
1908–1914	Manchester City	172	(34)
1914–1924	Port Vale	54	(1)
Total		474	(65)
National team
1903	England	1	(0)
Teams managed
1914–1919	Port Vale (player-manager)
1932–1935	Port Vale
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Thomas Holford (28 January 1878 – 6 April 1964) was an English footballer who played for Stoke, Manchester City, Port Vale and the England national team. His primary position was wing-half, but over the course of his career he played in many different positions. He later managed Port Vale on two separate occasions, serving throughout World War I, before a three-year spell from 1932 to 1935. He also served the club for many years as a trainer and a scout. In 1924 he turned out for the Vale at the age of 46 years and 68 days, making him one of the oldest ever players in the Football League. He was a cousin of Wilf Kirkham.

Holford was born in Hanley, and started his career with Cobridge before moving on to one of the two local league clubs; Stoke in May 1898. He "did not put a foot wrong" in his first seasons at the club, before establishing himself as the centre of Stoke's half-back line between James Bradley and George Baddeley following Alf Wood's departure in March 1901. He was nicknamed "Dirty Tommy" due to his sometimes reckless tackling.

For the next ten seasons Holford was a near ever-present in the Stoke team, racking up 105 consecutive appearances from March 1903 to March 1906. His good performances won him an England cap in 1903 and he is considered the smallest centre-back ever to play for England at just 5 ft 5. During Holford's time at Stoke became known as 'Dirty Tommy' as he played the game in a fiery style, although he was never sent off. He succeeded George Baddeley as captain in 1905.

Holford's manager Horace Austerberry described him as "an excellent passer of the ball and one who played every match as if it was his last". In 1908 Stoke went bust and dropped out of the Football League and played in the Birmingham League. Holford was too good to be lost to non-league football and so he had to leave his home-town club, who he played nearly 270 games for.